Iran demands control over Oman's side of Strait of Hormuz

Iran has proposed to Oman — which mediated between Tehran and Washington as US airstrikes began — that the zone it controls in the Strait of Hormuz be extended to cover the Omani side of the waterway.

Iran and Oman divide the strait between them. Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz must either hug the Omani coast to avoid a mine-laden central zone or pass close to the Iranian shoreline. After last month's end-of-war MOU reopened the strait, US forces have largely directed vessels along the route closer to Oman. Ships have also preferred the Omani side over the Iranian-controlled zone, where passage conditions are unpredictable.

Fearing a loss of control over the strait, Iran appears to be seeking to extend its influence by bringing the Omani-side zone under its own management. Iran has also warned that it will not reopen the strait unless it reaches an agreement with Oman on the terms of passage.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB on Tuesday that Tehran had proposed to Oman that one shipping lane through the strait fall within Iranian territorial waters and that part of the opposing lane also be included in Iranian waters.

Oman is said to have proposed during talks with Iran on July 11 that control of the Strait of Hormuz be split evenly, with each side managing its half independently. Gharibabadi said Iran rejected Oman's proposal to divide the strait's shipping lanes north and south, with each country managing its own section separately.

Gharibabadi argued that "without long-term regional stability, Oman's proposal does not address Iran's security concerns," and asked rhetorically: "What would the outcome have been if Iran had continued to allow transit through that corridor for Oman?"

He also said Iran could not permit full freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that doing so would undermine the gains Tehran achieved in the war. The remarks signal that Iran has no intention of relinquishing control of the waterway.

"Iran's policy is that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war state," Gharibabadi said. "If the strait reverts to what it was before the war, our success in this conflict will be incomplete." He added that "the Strait of Hormuz is part of Iran's security and a source of national defense," and that "the world must know that the Islamic Republic of Iran has significantly upgraded its defensive capabilities."

Gharibabadi also issued threats against Western nations. "Every European vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz is a legitimate target for us," he warned. He shrugged off the prospect of new negotiations with the United States and other Western powers, saying: "How can we enter new negotiations when the other side has repeatedly broken its promises in past negotiations?"

"If we do not reach an agreement with Oman, we will continue on our own path regarding the Strait of Hormuz," Gharibabadi said, adding that "if Oman rejects our proposal, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed." He doubled down, saying: "We will never, under any circumstances, recognize the southern route through the strait — the one along the Omani coast."

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Oman proposed at a foreign ministers' meeting with Iran on July 11 that ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz be managed along two separate routes, and also floated the idea of a voluntary toll system.